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Health Hazard

Evaluation

Report

RECE.IVIED rtmen~ af lndustlill H~e RW lnternat!one! Union

HETA 8~-003-1834 B.F. GOODRICH

WOODBURN, IND IANA ,

PREFACE

The Hazard Evaluations and Technical Ass1stance Branch of NIOSH conducts field 1nvest1gat1ons of possible health hazards in the workplace. These investigations are conducted under the authority of Sect1on 20(a)(6) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, 29 U.S.C. 669(a}(6) which authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services, following a written request from any employer or authorized representative of employees, to determine whether any substance normally found 1n the place of employment has potentially toxic effects in such concentrations as used or found.

The Hazard Evaluations and Technical Assistance Branch also provides, uponrequest, medical, nursing, and industrial hygiene technical and consultative assistance (TA) to Federal. state, and local agencies; labor; industry and other groups or individuals to control occupational health hazards and to prevent related trauma and disease.

Mention of company names or products does not constitute endorsement by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

HETA 85-003-1834 BIOSH INVESTIGATORS: SEPTEMBER 1987 Matthew A. London, K.S . B. F. GOODRICK Steven Lee, C. 1 . K. WOODBURN, INDIANA

1. SUMMARY

In October 1984, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) received a request from the United Rubber, Cork, Linoleum and Plastic Workers of America, Local 715, to investigate a suspected excess of cancers among workers in the Milling and Tuber area of the B. F . Goodrich tire plant in Woodbunl, Indiana. Specifically, "three brain cancers, one optic tumor, three lung cancers, and three leukemia cases," were reported to have occurred among people who had worked in the Milling and Tuber area .

We examined the possibility of an excess by : calculating the number of age- and sex-specific person-years at risk for the group, determining the expected number of cases by applying person-years at risk to ageand sex-specific cancer incidence rates published by the Rational Cancer Institute, and comparing the reported number of cases to the expected number.

Cases were verified using three sources: B.F. Goodrich's computerized corporate medical system, death certificates (obtained from the state in which death occurred), and medical records (obtained from a hospital or private physician). To be counted as a case, the diagnosis had to have been made after the person began employment in the Milling and Tuber area.

No cases of brain cancer, no cases of eye cancer, one case of leukemia, and five cases of lung cancer were verified . The one case of leukeroia represents a slight, non-statistically significant, excess. The five cases of lung cancer represent a ten-fold increase over·tbe expected cases, and is statisticall) significant. The imposition of minimum latencies ranging from S-20 years, by S-year increments, resulted in Standardized Morbidity Ratios (Slllls) of 10.36, 15 . 33, 14 . 60, and 28.57 respectively .

In December 1979, as part of a previous survey at this plant, BIOSH and the company collected a total of 21 personal breathing-zone air .samples for nitrosamines. Exposures to B-nitroscnnorphollne ranged from 0.5 to 1.8 micrograms per cubic meter (ug/m3) with a inean of 0 . 8 ug/m3. N-nitrosodimethylamine exposures ranged up to 0.09 ug/m3. Due to their potential carcinogenicity, BIOSH recommends that exposure to nitrosamines be kept as low as possible. Benzene air samples collected by OSHA and the company since 1980 have shown exposures to be less then

O.l parts per million (ppm). Hotitever. si.x workers sampled by the company in 1~ 75. had air benzene conr.entrations ranging frOJll 0.5 to Ll.9 ppm. with a mean or 3.5 ppm. NIOSH consi~ers benzene to be a human carcinogen, and, as such, recommends that exposures be kept to the lowest feasible level, but should never exceed 0.1 ppm as an 8-hour time titeighted average (TWA) or 1 ppm as a_l5-minute cei.ling. Finally, prior to 1979, talc was widely used in the plant, including the department being studied . It has not been possible to determine whether sOll\8 or all of the talc was asbestos-containing, but exposure to asbestos particles from this source cannot be ruled out .

On the basis of the available data, it was determined that there is evidence of an excess of lung cancer among workers who have ever been employed in the Hilling and Tuber area of B.F. Goodrich's Woodburn, Indiana plant. Recoltll\endations for medical screening and control of exposures are included in Section VIII of this report.

KEYWORDS: Ste 3011 (Tires and Inner Tubes), cancer, lung cancer, leukemia, nitrosamines, benzene, asbestos-containing talc, coal tar pitch volatiles.

Health Hazard Evaluation Report Bo. HETA 85-003

II . INTRODUCTION

In October 1984, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) received a request from the United Rubber, Cork, Linoleum and Plastic Workers of America, Local 715, to investigate a suspected excess of cancers among workers in the Killing and Tuber area of the B. F. Goodrich tire plant in Woodburn, Indiana. Specifically, "three brain cancers, one optic tumor, three lung cancers, and three leukemia cases, .. were reported to have occurred among people who had worked in the Milling and Tuber area.

On October 30-31, 1984, a HIOSH industrial hygienist and an epidemiologist conducted an initial visit consisting of a walk-through, and an assessment of the available personnel, medical, and. industrial hygiene records. On January 22-23, 1985, we reviewed the personnel files of all current and former employees of B.F. Goodrich's Woodburn plant to obtain information for an epidemiologic study. On June 18, 1986 and again on October 8, 1986 we sent letters to the company and union informing them of the progress of the study.

III . BACKGROUND

The B. F . Goodrich plant in Woodburn, Indiana was built in 1961 and employs about 1700 workers to manufacture 27,000 tires per day . The plant covers 40 acres and bas a warehouse capacity of 1 million tires .

Figure 1 sho~s the production stages in the manufacture of tires and tubes, and Table I describes occupational title groups in tire and tube manufacturing.I VIOSH publication no . 8~-111, "Control of Air Contaminants in Tire Manufacturing," provides detailed descriptions of all the major processes of tire manufacturing and their potential for producing worker exposure to alr contaminants.I

The Milling and Tuber area employs 130 workers evenly over three shifts. A mill is a machine that uses rollers to further mix rubber from the initial mixing process (Banbury) and fonn it lnto rubber sheet stock. The sheets are coated with anti-tack agents for easier handling. Tubering is an extrusion process where the milled rubber is forced through a die, forming a long. continuous strip in the shape of tread or sidewall.

Kajor sources of airborne contaminants are fumes emitted from the rubber as it is heated by the friction generated from the milling and extruding processes, and dust generated by the handling of anti-tack agents, such as talc . Also. the rubber solv~nl currently used for tire- building at the Woodburn plant contains 0 . 1~ benzene .

Health Hazard Evaluation Report No. META 85-003

IV. EVALUATION DESl~N AND METHODS

A. Kedical/Epidemiologic

We were provided access to the personnel files of all current and former employees of the Woodburn B.F. Goodrich plant. The files were said to be complete by both the company and the union.

Examining each person's work history card(s), we looked for any indication that a person had ever worked in the Killing and Tuber area (designated as department 8221, 6725, or 6730). For all 336 individuals so identified, we attempted to abstract the following information from their personnel file: naae. address, telephone number, social security number, gender, date of birth, date of first employment in the plant, dale of last employment in the plant, date of first emplo)'Dlent in the Milling and Tuber area, and date of last employment in the Killing and TUber area.

Cases were identified in the following manner: the B.F. Goodrich computerized corporate medical system was ••arched, by plant and by International Classification of Disease (ICD) code for any cases of the diseases of interest. Any employee of the Milling and Tuber area whose name appeared on that list was considered to be a case. For additional reported cases that did not appear in the computerized corporate medical system, ve obtained a death certificate from the state in which death occurred and/or medical records from a hospital or private physician. If either source confirmed the alleged diagnosis, that person was counted as a case. However, the diagnosis had to have first been 111&de after the person began employment in the Milling and Tuber area. Because many of the people had left employiaent years before and would have been difficult to locate, we did not sy&tematically obtain death information or medical histories on all of the 336 employees in the study group, only on those who bad been identified as possible cases.

We used the NIOSH Life-Table Analysis System (LTAS>2 to calculate age··specific person-years at risk (PYAJl) of developing cancer among the individuals identified. Information was incomplete on two individuals, so that the PYAR reflect 334 of the 336 people. Two separate analyses were performed. The first analysis considered a worker to be at risk from the time s/be began work in the Milling and Tuber area until the study end date of January 1, 1985. Ho adjustment was made to stop accumulation of PYAR at date of diagnosis or death prior to the study end date.

Health Hazard Evaluation Report Ho. HETA 85-003

Cancer incidence rates from 1973-1977, for whites, by five-year age groups, were obtained from the Vational Cancer lnstitute•s SERR Program. 3 This program collects data, primarily from population-based tumor registries, in the following geographic areas: the states of Connecticut, Iowa, New Mexico, Utah , and Hawaii; and the metropolitan areas of Detroit, Atlanta, New Orleans, San Francisco-Oakland, and Seattle. These data and rates are then available by individual area or by all areas combined . Using the combined rates as the comparison, we calculated the number of expected cases of each cancer of interest by applying the SEER rates to the PYAR for each 5-year age group.

For each site-specific cancer, we calculated a Standardized Morbidity Ratio (SMR) (ratio of observed cases to expected cases), and, assuming a Poisson distribution, a 95~ Confidence Interval cc.t.)4 around that ratio. When the SKR was not statistically significant, we calculated the number of additional cases that would have had to have occurred in order for there to have been less than a 5~ chance that the events were random.

A second similar set of analyses was then performed for lung cancer, the only site tlhere a significant excess was identlfied in the original analyses. These analyses imposed minimum latencies of 5, 10, 15 and 20 years. For example, a five-year latency means that for the first five years after beginning employment in the Killing and Tuber area, we do not consider a person to be at risk of developing cancer from that job. Therefore, neither PYAR nor diagnoses of lung cancer for those five years are counted in that analysis.

B. Environmental

On December 12, 1979, as part of a previous study at this plant, HIOSH collected 10 air samples for nitrosamines in the Milling, Extruding. curing, and Warehouse areas.S Samples were collected on Thermosorb tubes using battery-powered sampling pumps at a flow rate of 1.5 liters per minute (LPK). The samples were eluted with dichloromethane and methanol, and analyzed for seven volatile nitrosamines by gas chromatography-thermal energy analysis and high pressure liquid chromatography-thermal energy analysis. From 1979 to 1983, the company collected 30 air samples for nitrosamines.

Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PBAs) can also be released into the air when rubber is heated. On January 10, 1980, OSHA collected six personal breathing-zone CPBZ) samples for coal tar pitch volatiles (CTPV) among tire curlng- press operators. From 19/5 lo 1982, twenty PBZ samples for benzene were collected by the COlllp&ny and OSHA.

Health Hazard Evaluation Report No. KETA 85-003

V. ~ALUATION CRITERIA

The primary sources of envirorunental evaluation criteria for the workplace are: l) NIOSH Criteria Documents and recommendations, 2) the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists' (ACGlH) Threshold Limit Values (TLV's). and 3) the U.S. Department of Labor (OSHA) occupational health standards. Often. the BIOSH recommendations and ACG!H TLV's are lower than the corresponding OSHA standards . Both •IOSK recommendations and ACGIH TLV's usually are based on more recent information than are the OSHA standards. The OSHA standards also nl8Y be required to take into account the feasibility of controlling exposures in various industries where the agents are used; the WIOSH-recommended standards. by contrast, are based primarily on concerns relating to the prevention of occupational disease. In evaluating the exposure levels and the recommendations for reducing these levels found in this report, it should be noted that industry is legally required to meet those levels •pecifie4 by an OSHA standard.

A time-weighted average (!WA) exposure refers to the average airborne concentration of a substance during a normal 8- to 10-hour workday . Some substances have reccmwended short-term exposure limits or ceiling values which are intended to supplement the !WA where there are recognized toxic effects from high short-term exposures .

A. Benzene

WIOSH recommends tbat occupational exposure to benzene be controlled to the lowest feasible level, but in no event should any worker be exposed to more than 0.1 ppm as an 8-bour time weighted average (TWA) and tbat short-term exposure be controlled so as not to exceed 1 ppm, as deterained in any 15-minute aampl.ing. period. The OSHA permissible exposure limit CPBL) bas recently been lowered to 1 ppm. with a short-term exposure limit (STIL) of S ppm.

The data on benzene leave no doubt regarding the human carcinogenic potential of this chemical. Binsky et al.6 found a significantly increased risk of developing leukemia even at long-term exposures less than l ppm. However. primary routes of exposure to benzene are inhalation (breathing) and skin absorption. Suaten et al. 1 found that significant benzene absorption can occur among workers Who use solvents that contain about O.S~ benzene. They calculated that a worker building 150 tires per day could absorb approximately 6 mg of benzene daily through intact akin. The 6 mg of benzene can be compared to the amount of benzene absorbed through inhalation of l ppm benzene over an 8-hour day.7

Health Hazard Evaluation Report No. RETA 85-003

B. Nitrosamines

Nitrosamines are potent animal carcinogens which are readily formed by the interaction (nitrosation) of nitrites or oxides of nitrogen and amine precursors . They may be synthesized in the environment and in the body . Occupational exposures may occur, for example, to machinists from synthetic grinding fluids, and in industries such

9as leather tanneries and tire manufacturing plants&, . Non-occupational exposures may occur from such sources as beer, cured meats, cosmetics, and tobacco smoke.

N-nitrosodimethylamine (tlDKA) has been shown to be the most potent carcinogen in the nitrosamine family. In animals, the target organs are the liver and ~idney. Acute toxic effects of animal exposure to UDKA are gastrointestinal irritation, vomiting, diarrhea, and failure of the blood to coagulatelO. A study by Moiseev and Benemanskiill found that rats exposed daily by inhalation to 0 . 2 mg/M3 tlDKA for 25 months had tumors of the lung, kidney, and liver earlier and at greater rates than controls who were expossd to C.005 ms/M3 tlDKA.

Due to their carcinogenic potential, VlOSH recommends that exposure to nitrosamines be reduced to the lowest feasible level. OSHA regulates NOMA as a cancer-suspect agent, though there currently is no pennissible exposure limit (PEL).

c. Coal Tar Pitch Volatiles (CTPV)

NIOSH considers CTPV to be potential carcinogens. with the lung and skin as target organs. WIOSH's recommended exposure li.mit (BEL) is 0.1 mg/H3 as an 8-hour time weighted average ("rWA). OSHA also conside~s CTPV potential carcinogens. and bas established a standard of 0.2 mg/K3 TWA.

D. Talc

In evaluating the toxicity of talc, it is important to determine tthether the material also contains asbestos particles. Aside from any asbestos exposure, talc can cause fibrotic pneumoconiosis Ca dust disease of the lungs). The OSHA standard is 20 mppcf (million particles per cubic foot of air). The ACGIH recommendation is 2 mg/M3, measured as respirable dust.

Studies of workers exposed to asbestos-containing talc have found similar health effects to those found in workers exposed to other asbestos products. These health effects include increased mortality due to both malignant (cancer) and non-malignant

Health Hazard Evaluation Report No. HETA 85-003

r~spiratory diseases12, 13. Other studies have f~und ~ymptoms and X ray and lung function changes consistent with asbestosis14-19.

Vl. RESUl4TS AND DISCUSSIOB

A. Medical/!pidemiologic

Tables 11 through V depict the number of person-years at risk (with no minimum latency), cancer incidence rates, and expected cases by five-year age group for each of the cancers reported to be of concern. ~able VI is a SU1l'lll8ry of the verified cases of cancer, grouped by site.

Ho cases of brain cancer were verified among Killing and Tuber area employees, nor were any cases of cancer of the eye.

One case of l~ukemia was verified, compared with an expectation of 0 . 13 case. The case was first diagnosed 13 years after the worker began employment in the Killing and Tuber area. The standardized morbidity ratio (Stal) was 7.75 (95S C. I.: 0.10 - 43.13), not statistically significant.

Five cases of lung cancer were verified, compared with an expectation of 0.50 case. The cases were first diagnosed one month, 14, 15, 20, and 21 years after the workers began employment in the Milling and Tuber area . The SMB. was 10.08 (95S C.I.: 3.25 - 23.52). This finding is statistically significant (not likely d~e to chance).

Our second set of analyses was performed only for lung cancer. Imposed mini111.1m latencies of S, 10, 15 and 20 years resulted in Siiis (with 95~ C.l.) of 10.36 (2.79 - 26.53) 1 15 . 33 C• .12 - 39 . 24), l•.60 (1.6~ - 52.71), and 28 . 57 (0.37 - 158.97), respectively (Table Vil).

As described in Section IV of this report. HIOSH did not conduct an exhaustive follow-up of the vital status/existence of cancer among all employees of the Killing and Tuber area. It is believed that combining the company's medical data base with union reports of cancer cases (which were later verified) allowed us to identify most of the cancer cases among the workers in question . Still, our estimates of cancer risks 1t11st be considered to be ~inimum estimates because there could be additional cases.

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Our estimates of cancer risk are conservative in other ways, as well . Because we did not ascertain the vital status of group members, undoubtedly some people who died prior to the study end date (January 1, 1985) were incorrectly assumed to be at risk of being diagnosed with cancer until that date. Additionally, those people who were diagnosed with cancer prior to the study end date incorrectly continue to accumulate PYAR until the study end date .

A potential concern was that lung cancer rates in the U.S. are increasing over time (particularly for women) . We accounted for that by selecting as referents SEER rates which are approximately from the ~iddle of the time period during which this group of workers was at risk.

We did not impose minimum exposure durations as well as latencies because the small numbers which would have resulted would not have been meaningful . However, it is noteworthy that the four cases of lung cancer which had latencies of 14, 15, 20 , and 21 years had worked 13, 15, 20, and 21 years, respectively, in the Milling and Tuber area prior to diagnosis. They were all males, and their ages

. at diagnosis were 62, 49, 53, and 47, respectively. The latency of each of these cases is not incompatible wilh asbestos-induced lung cancer. In fact, if significant . exposure to asbestos-containing talc did occur, it is reasonable to expect those exposed to be at increasing risk of lun~ cancer until approximately 30-34 years after first exposure.2 • 21

B. Environmental

All ten of the air samples collected by WIOSK in 1979 contained N-nitrosomorpholine (IKOR), and five of them also contained N-nitrosodimethylamine (HOMA) (Table VIII).5 Worker exrosure to HKOR ranged from 0.6 to 1 . 8 micrograms per cubic meter Cug/m3) , and exposure to HOMA ranged up to 0.09 ug/m3. Fifteen personal breathing-zone samples for BMOR collected by the company on December 11-13, 1979, had concentrations ranging from 0.31 to 1.0 ug/m3, with a mean of 0.66 ug/m3. ln 1982, the company collected two area samples for BMOR near the Ho. 2 Tread Tuber that showed air levels of 0.42 and 0.71 ug/m3. In 19B3, an area sample near the No. 2 Tread Tuber showed 0.3 ug/m3 HMOR and 0 . 04 ug/m3 HDKA. At that time three area samples collected in the warehouse found lfMOR levels ranging from 1.2 to 1.4 ug/m3 and a HOMA level of 0 . 05 ug/m3.

In 1980, six curing- press operators were found to have CTPV exposures ranging up to 110 ug/m3, with a 1'\ean of 43 ugim3. No samples have been collected in the Milling and Tuber area .

Health Ha.?.ci.rd Evaluation Reporl No. HETA 85· 003

In 1979, the comiJ.mY switched to kaolin as an ;rnti- tac.le agent. for milled rubber. Talc wa~ used prior to 1979. No hislorical sa11tpling result~ exist to determine the presence or absence of asbeslos fibers in the talc. The company mai.ntains ll\al n(ln· asbestos r.onlaining talc was alwcays used, but no proof was provided and il is not possible to verify that at this time.

None of the 14 PBZ samples for benzene collected by OSHA or the company since 1980 have bad a concentration that exceeded 0.1 parts per million (ppm). However, six workers sampled by the company in February 1975, had air benzene exposures ranging from 0.5 to 11.9 ppm, with a mean of 3.5 ppm.

VII. CONCLUSIONS

The results of our study show a significant excess of lung cancer among current and former employees of the Killing and Tuber area. Four cases were dlagnosed 14-21 years after the individual began employment in the area. This latency is compatible with (though not proof of) the etiologic agent being exposure to some material in the Milling and Tuber area. Uo smoking history was obtained from the cases or their next of kin. As smoking is a known powerful lung carcinogen, smoking habits may have influenced these results. However, the cancer incidence rates used for comparison are based upon populations w'hicb include both smokers and non-smokers. Well documented exposures to nitrosamines, possible exposures to PNAs, and -- if it was present -exposure to asbestos-containing talc are possible explanations for the lung cancer excess. However, nitrosamlne and PHA exposures were not limited to the Killing and Tuber area. Emissions from hot rubber continue throughout the rest of the tire-making process. In fact. so~e of the highest nitrosamine levels at the Woodburn plant have been found in the warehouse. Past exposure to talc, however, is unique to the Killing and Tuber area.

The one case of leukemia was more than expected, though it is inconclusive whether an increased leukemia risk exists for the current employees of the Milling and Tuber area. The 13 year latency from time of first employment in the area until time of diagnosis is not inconsistent with such an ~tiology.

Vlll. RECOHKENOATTONS

l. NlOSH Publication No. 84-111, "Control of Air Contaminants in Tire Kanufacturing"l, includes many recommendations for controlling exposures in the industry. Those recommendat ions, whe1·e applicable, should be followed.

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2. Additionally, a medical surveillance program should be implemented. Given the documented excess risk of lung cancP-r, this program should be implemented for all employees who have worked at least five years in the Killing and Tuber area or any other area of the plant where potential exposure to a carcinogen exists. The program should minimally include an annual physical exam, chest x-ray, and pulmonary function testing, with the results to be discussed with the employee. Upon tennination of e~ployment, those employees should be advised to continue receiving annual screening .

IX. REFERENCES

1. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health . Control of Air Contaminants in Tire Manufacturing. DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 84-111 . May 1984.

L. Waxweiler, RJ, et al. A modified life-table analysis system for cohort studies. Journal of Occupational Medicine, 25 : 115-124, 1983.

3. National Cancer Institute Monograph 57, Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End R~sults: Incidence and Mortality Data, 1973-17. Tables llE and llF. NIH Publication No. 81-2330 1 June 1981.

4. Rothman. KJ and Boice Jr .• JD. Epidemiologic Analysis with a Programmable Calculator. Program 14. NIH Publication No. 79-1649, June 1979.

5. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Survey for N-nitroso compounds at B. F. Goodrich. Woodburn, Indiana. Industrywide Studies Branch. April 1980.

6. Rinksy, RA; Smith, AB; Hornung, Ri Filloon, TG; Young, RJ; Okun. AH, Lan~rigan, PJ. Benzene and leukemia: An epidemiologic risk assessment . New England Journal of Medicine 316:1044-1050. 1987.

7. Susten, AS; Dames, BL; Berg, JR; Niemeier, RW. Percutaneous penetration of benzene in hairless mice: an estimate of dermal absorption during tire-building operations. Am. J Industrial Med 7: 323-335, 1985.

8. Fajen, JM; Carson, GA; Roundbehler. DP; et al. N-nitrosamines in The Rubber and Tire Indust~y . Science 1979; 205:1262-4 .

9. KcGlothlin, JD; Wilcox. TG; fo'aj en, JK; Edwards, GS. A HMlth Hazard Evaluation of Nitrosamines in a Tire Manufacturing Plant . New York: American Chemical Society Cin pt'P.SS).

h

· Health Hazard Evaluation Report No. HF.TA 85- 003

10 . Jacobson , KH; Wheelwright, JH; Clem, JH. Studies on th~ Toxic.')logy of N-nitrosodimethylamine Vapor . AMA Archives of lndust.rial Health, 12, 617-622; 1955 .

11 . Hoiscev, GE; Bencmanskii, VV . Carcinogenic Activity of Low Concentration of N-nitrosodimethylamine in Inhalation . Cb~mic~l Abstracts 83, 1,73618, 1975 .

12 . Kleinfeld, M; Messite, J; and Zaki, H. Mortality Experiences Among Talc Workers: A Follow-up study. J. Occup. Med. 16 No. 5:345-349, 1974 .

13 . Kleinfeld, M; M~ssite, J; and Kooyman, o. Mortality Among Talc

Miners and Hillers in New York State. Arch. Environ. Health

14:663-667, 1967.

14 . Kessite, J; Reddin, G; and Kleinfeld, M. Pul1D0nary Talcosis, A Clinical and Environmental Study. AKA Arch. Ind . Health 20:408-413, 1959 .

15. ~leinfeld, MJ; Hessite, J; Shapiro, J; 'Kooyman, O; and Swencicki, R. Lung Function in Talc Workers: A Comparative Physiologic Study of Workers Exposed to Fibrous and Granular Talc Ousts. Arch . Environ. Health 9:559-566, 196~ .

16. Kleinfeld, MJ; Kessite, J; Swencicki, R; and Sarfaly, J. Lung Function Changes in Talc Pneumoconiosis. J. Occup. Med. 7:12-17, 1965.

17. Kl~infeld, M; Mcssite, J; Swe~cicki, R; and Sarfaly, J . !ffect of Talc Oust Inhalation on Lung Function. Arch. Environ. Hftalth 10:431, 1965.

18. Kleinfeld, K; Hessite, J; and Langer, A.H. A Study of Workers Exposed to Asbestiform Minerals in Commercial Talc Manufacture . Environ. Res. 6:132-143, 1973 .

19 . Kleinfeld, K; Kessite, J; Kooyman, O; and Shapiro, J. Pulmond~y Ventilatory Function in Talcosis of Lung. Dis Chest 46:592-8, 1964 .

20. Walker, AM. Declining Relative Risks for Lung Cancer After Cessation of Asbestos Exposure. JOH 26:422-426, 1984.

21. Selikoff, lJ; Hanunond, EC; and Seidrr~n. H. Latency of Disease among Insulation Workers in the United States and Canada. cancer 46 : 2736-2740, 1980.

Health Hazard ~valualion Report No . H~TA 85- 003

X. !lUTHvRSHIP A1'4D ~CKNOWT.EC:CEHr:NTS

Report Prepared by: Matthew A. London, K.S .

Epidemiologist

Medical Section

Steven A. Lee, CIH Industrial Hygienist Industrial Hygiene Section

Yield Assistance: Martin Bichard Berkely B. J. Haussler Support Set·vices Branch

Originating Office : Kazar~ Evaluations and Technical Assistance Branch

Division of .S..irveillan.:.e, Hazard Evaluations, and Field studies

Report Typed By: Jenise Brassell

XI . DISTRIBUTION AND AVAILABILITY OF REPORT

Copies of this report are currently available upon request from BIOSH, Division of Standards Development and Technology Transfer, Publications Dissemination Section, 4&76 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45226. After 90 days, the report will be available through the Bational Technical Information Service (NTIS), S285 Port Royal, Springfield, Virginia 22161. Information r~garding its availability thrc~gh NT~S can be obtain~d from NIOSH Publications Office at the Cincinnati address . Copies of this report have been sent to :

1. B. F. Goodrich, Woodburn, Indiana 2. United Rubber, Cork , Linoleum and ~lastic Workers of America, Lo~al

715 3. United Rubber, Cork, Linoleum and Plastic Workers of America 111. OSHA, Region V

For the purpose of infci-:ning affected employees, copies of this report shall be posted by the employer in a prominent place accessible to the employees for a period of 30 calendar days.

TABLE I

Description of Occupational Title Groups in Tire and Tube Manu(acturingl

Occupational Title Group Description of Process

Compounding Batch lots of t"Ubber stock ingredients are weighed and prepared for subsequent mixing in Banbu~ys; solvents and cements a~e prepared for process use .

Banbury Mixing Raw ingredients (t"Ubber, filler, extender oils, accelerators, antioxidants) are mixed together 1n a Banbury mixer. This internal mixer breaks dowr, rubber for thorough and unifonn di$persion of the other ingredients.

Killing The batches from the Banbury mill, cooled, and the sheets

are further mixed or slabs coated

on a

with talc so they are not tacky . The stock may return to the Banbury for additional ingredients, or go on to breakdown or feed mills prior to extnJsion or calendaring .

Extrusion The softened rubber is forced through a die f onning a long, continuous strip in the shape of tread or tube stock. this strip is cut in appropriate lengths, and the cut ends are cemented so as to be tacky .

Calendaring The softened rubber from the feed mill is applied to fabric, fanning continuous sh~~ts of plystock by the calendar (a mill with three or more vertical ~olls and nuch greater accuracy and control of thic'kness.

Plystock Preparation The plystock from the calendar is cut and applied to the correct size for tire building, and so the strands in the fabric have the proper orientation.

Bead Building Parallel steel wire is insulated with rubber vulcanizable into a sP.mi-hard condition and covered with a special rubberized fabric. The beads maintain the shape of the tire and hold il on the steel rim in use.

Tire Building The tire is built from several sheets of r.alendared plyslock, treads, and beads.

TAHl.E l (Continued)

Description of Occupational Tille Groups in Tire and Tube Manufacturingl

Occupational _Tit le Gt'O!!£ Description of Process

Curing Preparation l'he assembled green or uncured tire is inspected, repaired, and coated with agents to keep it from sticking to the mold in vulcanization.

Tube Splicing Assembly of tube stock; i.e., tube building.

-curing The green tire or tube is placed in a mold and vulcanized under heat and pressure.

Final Inspection and Repair The cured tire is trimmed, inspected. and labeled;repairable tires or tubes which do not pass initial

inspection are repait"ed.

' TABi..r:: Tll Expected Cancers of the lye

Ho KinitraJm Latency

B.F. Goodrich

Milling and Tuber Area

Woodburn, Indiana

HETA 85-003

Age Person-Years at Risk Incidence/100,000 Expected Cases

15-19 (Kales) 37 0.1 0.000 20-24 313 0.1 0.000 25-29 602 0.2 0.001 30-3.\ 671 0.4 0.003 35-39 638 0.3 0.002 40-44 510 0.1 0.004 45-49 232 1.2 0.003 50-54 88 1.6 i>.001 55-59 28 2.0 0.001 60-64 10 2.3 0.000

• 0.015

15-19 (Females) 4 0.1 o.ooo 20-24 32 0.1 0.000 25-29 50 0.1 0.000 30-3'4 42 0.2 0.001 35-39 33 o.s 0.002 40-U 11 0.4 0.002

= 0.001 Total Humber of Expected Cases = 0.016 Minimum Humber of Cases Necessary for a Statistically Significant Excess* = 1 lilumber of Cases Verified = O

*Upper boundary of the 95~ Confidence Interval for the Poisson Distribution.

TABL.E IV

Expected Cancers of the Brain

No Minimum Latency

B.F. Goodrich


Woodburn, lndiana

HETA 85-003

Age Person-Years at RisK lncidence/100,000 Expected

15-19 (Kales) 37 1.9 0.001 20-24 313 2.1 0.007 25-29 602 2.4 O.OH 30-34 6:'1 2.8 0.019 35-39 638 4." 0.028 40-U SlO 5.6 0.029 -45-49 232 8.3 0.019 50-54 88 11.2 0.010 55-59 28 14. 6 0.004 60-U 10 17.8 ~

"'0.133

15-19 (Females) 4 1.6 0.000 20-24 32 1.6 0.001 25-29 50 1.9 0.001 30-311 42 1.9 0.001 35-39 33 2.6 0.001 40-U 11 3.6 2-:...QQQ

=0.004

Total llumber of Expected Cases = 0.137 Kini111.11t1 Humber of Cases Hecessary for a Statistically Significant Excess* = 2 llumber of Cases Verified = 0

* Upper boundary of the 951. Confidence Interval for the Poisson Distribution.

TABLE V

Expected Cases of Leukemia

Bo Minimum Latency

B.F. Goodrich Milling and Tuber Area

Woodburn, Indi.ana RETA 85-003

Age Person-Years at Risk lncidence/100,000 Expected

15-19 (Halei;) 37 3.0 0.001 20-24 313 1.8 0.006 25-29 602 2.8 0.017 30-34 671 2.9 0.019 35-39 636 4.0 0.026 -40-44 510 ";5 0.023 -45-49 232 7. l 0.016 50-54 88 10.6 0.009 55-59 28 17 .6 0.005 60-64 10 30.2 0.003

=0.125 15-19 (Females) 4 1. 7 0.000 20-24 32 1.9 0.001 25-29 so 2.1 0.001 30-34 42 1.9 0.001 35-39 33 2. 7 0.001 40-44 11 3.8 o.ooo

= 0.004 Total Number of Expected Cases = 0.129 Mini"ITDJ1tl Number of Cases Necessary for a Statistically Significant Excess* = 2 Number of Cases Verified = 1 Standardized Morbidity Ratio (SHR) = 7.75 95~ Confidence Interval for the SKR: 0.10 - 43.13

* Upper boundary of the 95~ Confidence Interval for the Poisson Distribution.

t I

i

l

TABLE VI

Verified Cases of Cancer

No Minimum Latency

B.F. Goodrich


Woodburn, Indiana

HETA 85-003

Cancer

t>rain

I Verified

0

Standardized Morbidity I Expected Ratio (SMR)

0.137 0

951 Confidence Interval

Eye 0 0.016 0 Leukemia 1 0.129 7.75 0.10 - 43.13 lung and Bronchus 5 0.496 10.08 3.25 - 23.52

TABLE VII

Cancers of the Lung and Bronchus

Minimum Latencies of 0-20 Years. by 5-year Increments

8.F. Goodrich


Woodburn. Indiana

HETA 8!>-003

Minir:1um 1.atency Observed/Expected ~ SMR 95% Confidence Interval

(J Years 5 I 0.496 10.08 3.25 - 23.52

:. Years 4 I o.386 10.36 2.79 - 26.53

lu Years 4 I 0.201 15.33 4.12 - 39.24

15 '1edrs 2 I 0.137 14.60 L64 .. 52. 71

20 )ears l I CJ.035 28.57 0.37 - 158.97

1hese categories are not mutually exclusive. For example. the case which had rr~re than 20 years of latency was counted in each of the other categories Cir. other woras, it haa more than zero, s. 10, and 15 years of latency. Each SMR, with the exception of that for more than 20 years of latency, represented a statistically significant excess.

l

TABLE VIII

Air Concentrations of Nitrosamines B. F. Goodrich

Woodburn. lndiara

December 12, 19795

Sampling Volume NOMA NMOR

Sa111Ele T.l'.,Ee Location (L1ters} ng/ThermoSorb ug/rn3 ng/ThermoSorb ug/m3

PBZ* 1101 Rubber H111 155 N.D.** 138 0.90

PBZ Four Roll Calendar 147 N.D. 125 0.85

PBZ Tread tuber opera tor 210 12 Extruder

33 0.09 486 1.2

PBZ Spacesaver Spares 243*** N.D. 608 1.8 Curing Area

Area Spacesaver Curing 293 24 0.08 429 1.5 Area

Area Spacesaver Tire 324 123 0.38 1194 3.7 Warehouse

HPLt-TEA Conf1r•tfon 324 125 0.39 1227 (3.7)

PBZ M111 Operator 1n 372 tubing operation

15 0.04 506 1.4

Area Near f Z Extruder 375 660 1.8 1170 3.1

HPLC-TEA Confir•tion 375 531 1.4 1079 2.9

Area Four Roll Calendar 390 N.D. 330 0.85

PBZ Heavy duty curing 326 N.D. 205 0.63 presses

*PBZ =personal breathing-zone **H.D. "" None detected - detection 11mit 10 ng/Th@rmoSorb

***Shift change after 107 minutes

~eivi.rq1 Ce12nt Mixing

Pre